The Grenada gazette., 1887-10-01
TO THE GOLD BOYS" OF THE 18TH
MISSISSIPPI INFANTRY.

My DEAR OLD FHIENDS:--Here l am at
my humble home in the piney woods OF East
Mississippi--l0'6 miles southeast of Meridian
lone week after our reunion at Duck Hill,
and to prevent reaction being sudden, and
to "sortor' taper off must write to you. In
one short day we saw and heard much of
each other, but the sun went down and tho
day ended and you and your wives and your
children and, In some cases, your grand
children went to your homes--happy homes,
| hope--and l, the Judge, your old friend,
fingered on the reunion ground with a few
choice spirits-residents of Duck Hill-fOr
one more day. yes, for one more day, and
suoh q multitude Of thoughts as passed
through my head-now getting gray--is now
quite astonishing to me. the humble indi-
vidual who furnished the head for the
thoughts to pass through.
Boys, love you, l love every one OF you. i
not only respect you as brave, noble and
chivaric gentlemen, but love you as Pyth-
las loved Damon. l couldn't talk enough to
you on the 18th inst. There Is Bill Spruill
that want to talk to whole week-Bill
has grand child--its granddaddy Is Il gen.
tlcman all over.
saw Wallace Scurr, than whom better
man never lived. had oniya few moments
conversation with him. ! told him that as
was escaping from the Yankees at Vlcksburg
! saw him on his way to get married. We
talked of the minnie ball TINT some Federal
had nearly literally wrapped around the
bone of his arm. Wallace showed me the
battered ball in war times. He told me that
the Yankees. amidst their other robberles,
even took the bullet from him which d Fed
eral had shot into him. l ventured to say
that the man who shot the ball into him was
a braver man than the pilterer who took 1t
from him. God bless you, Wallace! May
you read these lines and turn to your list OF
friends, and If my name is not already there,
put it down plainly and legibly with indeli-
bic ink, SO that your children and chiidfen's
children may read it after we have reunited
in the beautiful beyond!
talked a few moments to SAM Laurence
and Rube Dement, and his noble brother
These three are not giants physically, but
each has soul in his small body as big as
Lookout Mountain. May heavens blessings
be showered upon you, boys Rube,1 brought
yours and your brothers message to your
kinsmen in Meridian, They were truly glad
to hear from you.
saw Jim Taylor at Duck Hin. didn't
talk to him one-hundredth part as long as
wished Jim, in war times, was as true as
the needle to the pole, and on Thursday last
he still looked honest and good. Come to
Kosciusko next October, Jim.
nl1 TafT Calvin ~ruS tharn InfI Vns and
is, one of the noblest of the noble. He brought
a chunk of Yankee lead home with him in
his loved and honored body, and carried it
around with him long while, but finally
had 1t taken out. Joff, know you that when
looked at you last Thursday and saw you
alive and we'll, felt good and happy? May
you carry those big whiskers many a year,
is the wish of your friends.
There was John Rogers there at the reun-
ion. Johns hair and beard were as white as
this paper and he wore doHbled-lensed spec
tacles. When saw him in Rock Island
Prison, Illinois, in 1865, his hair was black.
A fellow In my barrack-47-stolc sack of
floor from John that cost him his last four
dollars. / made the fellow carry II back to
John, and John gave him enough of the flour
to make a big mess of biscuits. John paid
the freight both ways. No better man be-
longed to the 18th Mississippi than John
Rogers, of Company X. John, l love you
and all your folks. Tell them so.
There was Lewis Majet, with whom con-
versed minute when wanted n whole
seen him In twenty-odd years, but we recog.
Il.